Tap control a weapon in fight against infection

AqualisaÂ¹s QA range of electronic auto-sensing wash-basin controls, available as tap or mixer models, is being relaunched in response to the GovernmentÂ¹s initiative to clean-up hospitals, and in particular to fight against MRSA, an antibiotic resistant bacterium recognised as a major challenge in hospitals. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is spread by direct contact. It is recommended that healthcare workers use protective garments and wash their hands for longer than usual with disinfectant soap after treating patients infected with MRSA. Most importantly, they should wash their hands after using the toilet, since MRSA has been isolated in urine. However, the risk of cross-contamination remains, even with rigorous handwashing. Every second of every minute of every day care workers turn on a tap by hand, wash, then turn the tap off by hand. One study has shown that MRSA can live on inanimate objects, such as sinks and taps, for up to 30 days. The care worker can become re-infected within